Graphic Design Technology

The Graphic Design Technology program prepares students for careers in the design industry, integrating theory and technical skills in an innovative applied learning curriculum. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students take classes in studio art and digital technology as well as general studies in the liberal arts. Classes are focused on the development of creative thinking and fluency in the principles of design as well as the technical manipulation of software. Students work closely with faculty in small classes, using state-of-the-art technology in two fully-equipped Mac labs. Studio courses are limited to 18 students, fostering one-on-one faculty-student interactions. Faculty work alongside students to develop the conceptual and practical skills they need to become proficient designers and educated professionals.

Elements of the curriculum include art history, typography and layout, print production, web design, photography, and drawing. Upon completion of the two-year graphic design program, students are prepared to enter the workforce or transfer into four-year programs. Graduates of the four-year graphic design technology B.S. program have solid backgrounds and the skills necessary to succeed as graphic design professionals.

Program Highlights

■ SUNY Cobleskill Graphic Design faculty members are experts in design practice and theory. The faculty team is a diverse group of practitioners with expertise in typography and layout, illustration, digital workflow and prepress, digital photography, and web page design and coding.

■ Current industry-standard hardware and software allows students to work with the same tools used in the workforce.

■ Classes are capped at 18 students, which provides students with one-on-one training and access to dedicated faculty.

■ Students in the four-year Graphic Design Technology program have the opportunity to complete on-campus or off-campus internships.

■ Students in their senior year of the B.S. program complete a full-year project including all research, writing, and design work. This year culminates in an exhibition of the senior projects in the Grosvenor art gallery.

■ Students in the AA and BS programs visit art museums in New York city, as well as regional collections. Students attend American Institute of Graphic Arts events including a professional portfolio review.

■ Students focus on a web design track or video track concentration in addition to a foundation in design for print.

What Will I Learn?

Graphic Design students develop skills and proficiency in all industry-standard software applications and studio fundamentals such as typography and layout, illustration, workflow and prepress, digital photography, and web page design and coding. Students further learn a focused skill set in a track concentration, such as web design or video.

Single Camera Video Production Television Studio Production The Art of Audio and Video Editing The Documentary

Web Design II Web Design III Web Animation

■ Graphic Design students focus on creative thinking and developing an understanding of the principles of design and their effective application in print and web environments. ■ Students gain a sophisticated knowledge of typographic principles and the techniques needed to create well-designed paper and web-based publications. ■ Graphic Design students are trained in the techniques required to create, edit and incorporate raster-based and vector-based digital imagery into print and online publications. ■ Students study major developments in the history of art and design and learn to recognize how these developments have influenced the design of printed and online publications. ■ Graphic Design students graduate with a complete portfolio exhibiting their work, ready to show employers all that they have to offer.

Meet the Faculty

Adam Daily is an Assistant Professor and the graphic design program coordinator. He teaches a variety of courses including Digital Media, Computer Graphics, Digital Prepress and Senior Seminar. Daily is a graduate of Skidmore College and The University at Albany. He is a painter and designer whose practice is characterized by experimentation and innovation in production methods and materials. His work often combines digital and handmade processes. In 2011, he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellowship in Digital/ Electronic Arts. His work has been widely exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions. His solo exhibitions include shows at Salem Art Works, The Foundry for Art and Design, Schaefer Landing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and a large-scale mural commissioned by the City of New Rochelle, N.Y.

Margrethe Lauber, Full Professor and author of the 4-year program, teaches across the curriculum, specializing in typography and the history of art/design. Lauber is a design graduate of Pratt Institute and the University of Cincinnati, did additional graduate work in history at the New School for Social Research, and studied abroad as a research fellow in Germany and Ireland. Prior to full-time teaching at SUNY, she taught as an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design and had a career as a graphic designer spanning more than two decades working for numerous agencies in the fields of advertising, publishing, corporate, display, and direct mail.

Off the job, Lauber dedicates her time to travel, museums, books, motorcycling, and archery. More information can be found on her website: www.profLauber.com

Greg Miller has 35 years of experience in every aspect of graphic design and visual communications, from running printing presses and managing production to the creative direction of brand identity, corporate communications, advertising campaigns, global marketing strategies, and the development of web-based design.

He has studied how the migration of visual design to the online environment has changed the basic structure of the communications industry and the potential success, or failure, of its professionals.

Kayla Cady Vaughn is an internationally recognized multi-disciplinary artist and designer whose artwork has been exhibited throughout the Northeast and in Canada. A graduate of Cazenovia College, Kayla began her career as a graphic designer and marketing associate in the Central New York area. She left the private sector to pursue her postgraduate degree and received a Master of Fine Art degree from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Prior to teaching at SUNY Cobleksill, she worked as the Preparator at the Fenimore Art Museum and taught courses at Herkimer County Community College and Cazenovia College. She currently teaches a variety of Fine Arts course and serves as Director of the Grosvenor Art Gallery.

Degree Options

Associate's in Arts (AA)

■ 60 Credit Hours (2 Years)

■ Easy transition into Bachelor degree programs at SUNY Cobleskill

■ Upon completion of the AA, students have the option to enter the workforce or continue to a four-year program in graphic design, graphic communications, studio art, elementary and secondary art education, photography, fashion design or illustration.

Bachelor of Science (BS)

■ 120 Credit Hours (4 Years)

■ Students have the opportunity to participate in on- and off-campus internships

■ Ideal for students entering the workforce immediately upon graduation

Career Outlook

Graphic Design majors are fully prepared to apply their coursework to a wide variety of careers in the professional world. Upon completion of the two-year program, students are prepared to enter the work force or to transfer into the four-year program. Graduates of the four-year program have the background and skills necessary to succeed as graphic design professionals in a variety of print and online venues.